The distinguished speaker at this year’s USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum was former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, who was recently nominated as ambassador to China. Branstad took time during his speech to praise incoming Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and share his thoughts on the future of agriculture and economic development in rural America. “Simply put, American agriculture is tied to …
Farm Bureau President Speaks at USDA Ag Outlook Forum
The American Farm Bureau Federation’s public policy agenda shares much in common with the Trump administration on issues like regulatory reform and tax reform. But even harder issues such as farm labor and trade should present opportunities to engage with Congress and the White House, alike, AFBF President Zippy Duvall told participants at the USDA’s Agricultural Outlook Forum. Duvall said …
#RebuildRural Encourages Trump to Prioritize Infrastructure
Two hundred some #RebuildRural organizations representing U.S. agriculture, rural businesses, communities and families sent a letter to the President, asking him to make infrastructure in rural America a priority. The letter highlights the needs in rural communicates where a lack of population density creates challenges. “American agriculture truly feeds the world and creates millions of jobs for U.S. workers. Our …
NFU Announces Speakers, Panelists for Convention
The National Farmers Union will be celebrating 115 years at their annual convention in San Diego next month. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from industry professionals, policy makers and reporters during the four-day event. The speaker schedule is as follows: Conservation Panel (March 6, 2017) ~ Jason Weller, former chief, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service …
Celebrating National #FFAweek
Tomorrow kicks off National FFA Week, running from Saturday to Saturday around George Washington’s birthday. More than 649,000 FFA members will share the message of agriculture by hosting activities that highlight the importance of raising food and fiber. The tradition began in 1948 in recognition of Washington’s legacy as a farmer. Today National FFA Week encourages chapters to be involved in …
“Seeding Innovation” Website Unveiled by ASTA
The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) has announced a new, educational website, seedinginnovation.org. The organization hopes to provide answers to consumer questions like: What is plant breeding innovation? What do plant breeders do? And what could the latest breeding techniques like gene editing mean for the future of agriculture and our society? The new site offers informational videos, blog posts, …
IPPE Sets Records for 2017
A record setting 31,649 poultry, meat and feed industry leaders from all over the world attended this year’s International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE). The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, American Feed Industry Association and North American Meat Institute sponsored event also brought in 1,273 exhibitors showcasing products in 533,000 square feet of exhibit space. “We are very excited about …
Farm Bureau Donates to Hungry Americans
The American Farm Bureau, lead by the Young Farmers & Ranchers program, raised more than $1.1 million and donate more than 28.9 million pounds of food for hungry Americans in 2016. The “Harvest for All” program is now in its 15th year and has fed more than 31 million meals, thanks to the efforts of farmers and ranchers. “Farm Bureau …
Farm Groups Stress Importance of Trade in Asia-Pacific
The American Soybean Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Seed Trade Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Milk Producers Association, US Poultry & Egg Export Council and more than 80 other agriculture groups sent a letter to President Trump asking him to reduce and eliminate tarifs and other restrictions on trade in the Asia-Pacific region. “We hope your Administration will …
Public Lands Laws Seeing New Opportunities
They’ve hit the ground running, says Ethan Lane, Executive Director Public Lands Council & NCBA Federal Lands. The 115th Congress is underway and the new administration isn’t resting on its laurels, so now is the time to dig in and get the work done. The first priority is to roll back burdensome regulations facing cattle producers, especially with regard to …